Can I ask how your labour started?

[QuizTeamaAguilera]

I had DS in 2014 at 40+4, and had pre-eclampsia. This meant I was induced, then had an epidural (recommended for my high BP) followed by not much happening, followed by a forceps delivery as my BP was so high and DS was back-to-back with me (and 9lb 2oz!)

I didn't feel a single contraction and had to have my waters broken for me. While I am obviously grateful we were both safe and well, I don't know anything about going into labour naturally and feel like I was an observer rather than a participant!

Do waters break first? Or do you get contractions? How do you know if they're 'real' or not? I'm 39 weeks today and would love to hear some of your experiences with labours that have just started themselves.

Dd waters broke in the middle of the night with no warning.

Ds mild pains started early evening - ramped up quickly then waters broke. Baby born couple of hours later at home (planned)

Dd mild niggles throughojt the day and she felt very, very low. She did a sudden squirm and waters broke dramatically. After this contractions came on strong and baby born a couple of hours later at home as also planned!

With my first (40+9), I had very mild period like twinges for about a day or two, that evening I had my mucous plug show, then slightly more frequent period like cramps (but I could still sleep through them). By afternoon the next day they were a bit stronger and more regular but not proper contraction like pain. I phoned dh to come home from work, but they didn't really escalate that much and tailed off so we went for a lovely walk in the Forrest nearby. I went to bed at around 11pm, slept through all contractions but they started becoming a bit fiercer by 3.30am and were waking me up. They were every 8 minutes but we decided to get to hospital. Luckily they had lots of empty beds in mlu so we were allowed to stay even though I was only 3cm. Contractions suddenly ramped up at 6.30, was examined and was 6cm. I went to the toilet, did a wee, came into the room and my waters broke. Had a sudden urge to push and dd dropped out just before 7am.

Really good question OP. I'm watching with interest.
My waters went from 28 weeks, more went at 38 weeks and I was in constant pain from then on. I was monitored but my contractions didn't show on the screen so I was ignored for a good 30 hours.
I eventually had my DC 44 hours after my waters broke.

I don't feel like I had any idea what was going on and what a "normal labour" looks like either.

I felt like I really needed the loo for about a day, I was googling for constipation cures and then whilst watching tv my waters went, not much fluid as dd's head blocked the flow almost immediately but I knew something had happened. I was asked to go into the maternity ward and then they assured me that my waters hadn't gone and I was sent home after being made to feel like an idiot (they told me to call if waters broke and when I called they said to go in!). About an hour later I started with the odd twinge in my lower stomach but as I'd been treated so dismissively when I went to hospital after my waters broke I booked an appointment with my GP 1st thing in the morning and my gp assured me that my waters had broken and I was in labour. Dd arrived later that day.

It was all very calm and took about 48 hours if you include the time spent feeling constipated

as soon as I'd given birth I said that I'd rather give birth 10 times than go through the 9 months being pregnant again, maybe I was lucky but with a bit of gas and air it was all fine

Good luck

My labour was very slow and it all went a bit wrong but it started normally. Day before I had what felt like period pains and my plug went. Then around midnight I woke up as started having contractions. I knew they were real because they hurt. Properly hurt - no way of mistaking them for anything else. Had them about every 10 mins until about 8am when my waters broke while I was on the phone to the labour ward saying I didn't need to be induced! It was a proper big gush like you see in films. Then they started getting more painful and closer together and I went to hospital. And then it started going wrong because my waters went again but this time with tonnes of meconium so they put me on a drip and gave me an epidural. Several several hours later after my body gave up I had an EMCS but that's another story.

My waters didn't go until about 20 minutes before DS was born (and oh the relief when they did go!) and I think it's fairly common for them not to go until you're in active labour - so you're less likely to have them break spontaneously before any contractions start!

I felt really uncomfortable all day the day before my contractions started, lots of pressure on my bits (not to put to fine a point on it!). Then about midday the next day I started with period-type pains, which had turned into full-on contractions by about 3pm. DS was back-to-back so contractions were pretty intense from the start, with only a couple of minutes between them. Went into hospital at 6.30pm and I was already 7cm (I would have gone in sooner but the midwifes encouraged me to stay at home). DS was born in the water at midnight after 3 hours (!) of pushing.

My main advice would be to do a birth plan - even if it goes out the window it gives you the opportunity to think about what you would like to happen and to have some control before your body takes over! It also takes away much of the need to be making decisions when you're in labour and need to be focussing on the task at hand and giving your thinking brain a rest. Good luck Quiz you will be fab!

DS1 waters broke in the misled of the night and contractions started 10 minutes later.

DS2 I didn't know I was in labour as just had bit of a tummy ache and was very sick so thought I had food poisoning.

I had had a bloody show in the day, I woke up about 11.30pm to dull period like pains for about 90 mins, then my waters started to go in small gushes. Half an hour later at 2am I got my first contraction, waters went fully at 4am with a massive gush and Dd was born at 7.17am :)

These are all really interesting, thank you! I've been closely monitored this time, 75mg aspirin since 12 weeks and no sign of the pre-eclampsia (fingers crossed it stays that way) so I am hoping for a little more input in the birth this time. At every twinge I'm wondering if something is starting!

Woke up at 4 30 am with agonising pain in the pelvis where the bones join and were... being unjoined.

But apparently I'd had a 'classic warning sign' of not being able to eat my evening meal the day before.

My waters broke with DD1 when I stood up in Church to sing a hymn at a friend's wedding. Gushing amounts. Talk about upstaging the bride! I was 5 days before my due date.

With DD2, I was induced early for various reasons and my waters broke when I had gone down to A and E to queue up for some anti-epileptic medication that my DH needed and had forgotten to take to work with him (he was still at work at this point, intending to come along to the hospital at 5pm as we had been warned the process might take a while). I immediately got put in a wheelchair and taken back up to the labour ward. In neither case did I have any contractions (that I felt) before my waters went but it all happened rapidly afterwards.

Good luck with the birth, OP!

I had to be induced with my baby as I went 12 days over. Went in on the Monday afternoon and had to be put on a drip as I was dehydrated so I don't have my 1st set of gel till 11.45 that night nothing had happened by the morning and the ward was busy so I was left till lunch time when I had my 2nd set of gel, the midwife came back 6 hours later and broke my waters (found that experience painful). I was able to go and have a shower after them being broken and by the time I came back I was taken into a labour room and put on a drip to start contractions...I would say they started with in 30 mins baby was back to back so my contractions felt very strong, I had some gas and air(which is great) then asked for an epidural as I didn't stop with the gas and air!. I was dilating very slowly and by 9 am the next day I had stopped only got to 4cm ended up having an emcs had to have 2 spinal blocks as I felt them stitching me up. My baby was 11lb 7.5 oz so no wonder I stopped dilating he was too big to come out the natural way!. I can say I am happy that I had a c-section as a v birth would of been traumatic for the both of us.

Thank you I've had lots of baby movement tonight and strange sensations of pushing down on my bladder and cervix area (I think!), but they're not regular or anything, and more uncomfortable than painful...I've got a routine midwife appointment tomorrow so I'll check with her then!